Over the years the Stahlgruber group and its international subsidiaries has sold tens of thousands of items of capital equipment to the tyre industry. The company feels that consolidation in the equipment manufacturing industry has led to a narrowing of sourcing opportunities and a consequent adverse effect on price and customer choice. The answer was to form a ‘Best Enterprise Alliance’ in which a number of companies group together to form a product range, based on their individual areas of expertise. These companies are Stahlgruber, Butler (the Stahlgruber-owned manufacturer of tyre changers), Cemb, Hunter and Rotary Lifts. Butler will make a range of tyre changers, called Promont, and Cemb a range of wheel balancers, called Probalance, which will be exclusive to Stahlgruber and its subsidiaries. Hunter wheel alignment equipment and Rotary lifts will also be sold. Stahlgruber will continue to sell Butler tyre changers alongside the Promont range. Further information on what the alliance means to the companies involved, and of the ‘own name’ ranges of machines can be found in TYRES & ACCESSORIES 6/2000.